"Dgs" wrote:

> > Here's a photo of the weird vegetable:
> > http://www.well.com/user/lonewolf/Weird-Vegetable.jpg
>
> Looks a bit like eggplant, but the green ones are usually spherical.

This thing was pale green inside and out, with a convoluted
exterior. Eggplant is dark-purple (usually almost black) and
smooth on the outside, and spongy and white on the inside.

> What was the flavor like?

Bitter. Tasted sort of like rubber shoe soles and lye soap.
Not exactly my favorite vegetable, whatever it is. I'd like
to know what it is, so I can avoid it.

> > I sliced the tan sphere in two and photographed both the
> > inside and outside. On close inspection, it appears to be
> > some sort of egg, though of what type, I have no clue:
> >
> > Weird egg, exterior:
> > http://www.well.com/user/lonewolf/We...g-Exterior.jpg
> >
> > Weird egg, interior:
> > http://www.well.com/user/lonewolf/We...g-Interior.jpg
>
> The egg was boiled in water with either tea or soy sauce,

Ah. Yes, that would explain the weird color of the outside
of the white. I suspect these eggs (there were several of
them in each serving of this dish, mixed with veggies, meat
chunks, and sauce) were first hard-boiled in water, then
shelled, then cooked in some sauce to impart color and
flavor.

> then shelled and cut,

It was shelled, but not cut. I sliced it open after I got
home with the sample for the purpose of photographing both
the inside and the outside.

> and the yolk was removed and it was stuffed with
> what looks like bamboo shoot.

No, the yolk was intact. The yolk had a chalky texture and
a sulphurous, hard-cooked-yolk flavor. The white had a
typical egg-white texture with a hint of soy-sauce flavor.
Quite tasty, actually.

The main thing I'm curious about is, what kind of egg
might this be? Definitely not chicken, far too small for
that. The size is about 1/2" by 3/4". Robin egg?
Quail egg? Pheasant egg? I'm just guessing. What kind
of eggs (other than chicken) are used in Phillipine cooking?

> And what's with the use of "weird?" It's food, just not
> something you're used to. Millions of people eat foods
> like those regularly. Are they "weird" too?

"Weird" just means "not something you're used to" as you
phrase it. So yes, foods, people, music, or whatever,
are "weird" to people not used-to them. It is not a
disparaging word in any way. Personally I like weird
things, and find them much more interesting than non-weird
things. Just remember, the opposite of "weird" is "boring".
I prefer weird. :-)

--
Cheers,
Robbie Hatley
lonewolf at well dot com
www dot well dot com slant tilde lonewolf slant